A brief study on the Queens and the "PattaMahishi" of Rajaraja Chola - 1

[virarajendra]

A brief study on the Queens and the "Patta Mahishi" of Rajaraja
Chola - 1

The Tamil Chola Emperor Rajaraja Chola - 1 (A.D.985-1014) had many Queens during his
period of rule of the Chola Empire. The effort is made to make a very
brief study on them and to acertain his "Patta Mahishi" at the
time he ascended the throne in the year A.D.985

The list below provides the names of the Queens of Rajaraja Chola - 1 as
noted from his Inscriptions, and are sequenced in the "order of the
year of his rule" for our study.

Third year

"…..Chola Madeviyar alias Panchavan Madeviyar queen of Mummudi Chola
…..(Rajaraja – 1)….."

Inscription No 294 of 1906 from Thirumaalpuram

Third year

"…..Panchavan Madeviyar queen of Mummudi Chola……"

Inscription No 147 of 1918 from Thiruvaiyaaru

Fourth year

"…Udaiya Piraattiyaar Thambiranadigal Vanavan Madeviyaar alias
Thiribuvanamaadeviyaar, the mother of Sri Rajendra Chola Devar and the
Queen of Sri Rajarajadeva (Rajaraja – 1)

Inscription No 117-A of 1896 SII - V No 982 fromThiruvenkaadu

Fifth year

"…..Queen of Rajarajadeva by name Vattan Kaadan
Tongiyaar….."

Inscription No 19 of 1907 from Thiruvisalur

Nineth year

"……Queen Uloka Mahadeviyaar….."

Inscription No 239 of 1902 EI VII page 144 from Kiluur

Nineth year

"….Nam Piraattiyaar Sri Panchavan Mahadeviyaar provided gold
ornamants to Goddess Uma bhattarak(aal)i….."

Inscription No 278 of 1907 from Thiruvidaimaruthur

Tenth year

"…..Queen Panchavan Mahadevi provided a gold image of
Umasahithar……"

Inscription No 254 of 1907 from Thiruvidaimaruthur

Sixteenth year

"…..tax free grant of land by Nakkan Thillaiyalagiyaar alias
Panchavan Mahadeviyaar queen of Rajaraja for festival and offerings on
the day of Sadayam every month….."

Inscription No 47 of 1928 from Thiruppugalur

Seventeenth year

"…..Queen Thennavan Mahadevi….."

Inscription No 123 of 1895 SII V 684 from Thiruppalanam

Eighteenth year

"…..Nampiraatiyaar Sembiyan Mukkokkilaan Adigal alias Kannara Nacci
Pidara Nangai ….."

Inscription No 139 of 1923 from Arpaakkam

Nineteenth year

"…..Queen Kuttan Viranaaraayaniyaar alias Chola Mahadeviyaar
….."

Inscription No 112 of 1896 SII – V No 975

Twentieth year

"…..Nampiraattiyar Thiththaipiraan Therumanaar alias Chola
Mahadeviyaar ….."

Inscription No 111 of 1896 SII – V No 974 from Thiruvenkaadu

Twentyfirst year

"…..remission of taxes granted to the temple by King and Queen
Panchavan Mahadeviyar for special worship every month on the Sathaiyam
day……"

Inscription No 54 of 1928 from Thiruppuhalur

Twentyfirst year

"…..Temple Loka Mahadevi Iswaram built by the Queen of Rajaraja
Dantisakthi Vitanki alias Loka Mahadevi……"

Inscription No 219 of 1894 SII V 518 from Thiruvaiyaaru

Twentythird year

"…..Queen Panchavan Mahadeviyar……"

Inscription No 62 of 1928 from Thiruppuhalur

Twentyfourth year

"…..Uttarakailasa shrine in the temple was founded by Dantisakthi
Vitanki and was called Loca Mahadevieswaram……"

Inscription No 222 of 1894 SII V 521 from Thiruvaiyaaru

Twentyfourth year

"…..Ornaments and land to the same shrine founded by
DantisakthiVitanki….."

Inscription No 155, 156 of 1918 from Thiruvaiyaaru

Twentyfifth year

"…..Nampiraatiyaar Uloga Mahadeviyaar……"

Inscription No 624-A of 1902 SII VIII 223 from Thiruvalamjuli

Twentyfifth year

"…..Rajaraja's queen Dantisakthi Vitanki alias Loka Mahadevi
(at the Thiruvalamjuli temple built by him)……"

Inscription No 633 of 1902 SII VIII 224 from Thiruvalamjuli

Twenty fifth year

"…..Queen Vanavan Madeviyaar alias Thiribhuvanamadeviyaar……"

Inscription No 442 of 1918 from Thiruvenkaadu

Twentysixth year

"…Land by Udaiya Piraattiyaar (Vanavan Madeviyaar)….."

Inscription No 624 of 1909 from Konerirajapuram

Twentyseventh year

"……QueenNakkan Panchavan Mahadevi……"

Inscription No 385 of 1924 of Melapaluvur

Twentyseventh year

"……Queen Nakkan Panchavan Mahadevi……"

Inscription No 385 of 1924 of Melapaluvur

Twentyseventh year

"……Queen Ilangon Pichchi the senior Queen of
Solapperumaan….."

Inscription No 14 of 1920 of Thirumalavadi

Twentyseventh year

"……Queen Nakkan Arumoli alias Pirithi(vi) Madeviyar……"

InscriptionNo 455 of 1908 from Uyyakkondan

Twentyeigth year

"……Queen Vemban Sirudaiyaar alias Minavan Mahadeviyar queen of
Rajarajadeva….."

Inscription No 301 of 1908 of Thirukkalittatttai

Twentyeighth year

"……Queen Villavan Mahadeviyar…. .."

Inscription No 117 of 1896 of Thiruvenkadu SII V 981

Twentynineth year

"……'hemagarba' by the Queen Dantisakthi Vitankiyar alias
Lokamahadeviyaar……"

Inscription No 42 of 1907 from Thiruvisalur

Twentynineth year

"……Queen Panchavan Mahadevi sets up images of Thanjaialagar, Uma,
and Ganapathi and presents (jewellery) ornaments……"

Inscription No 111 of 1888 from Thanjavur
(Inside Prakara, firstniche, fourth & fifth pillars and second niche)

Twentynineth year

"……Queen Panchavan Mahadevi sets up copper image of
Pathanjalideva……"

Inscription No 113 of 1888 from Thanjavur
(Inside Prakara, north,seventh pillar)

Twentynineth year

"……Queen Loka Mahadevi sets up copper image of Adavallar and his
consort and presented (jewellery) ornaments ……"

Inscription No 102 of 1888 from Thanjavur
(Inside Prakara, west,second niche and nineth pillar)

Twentynineth year

"……Queen Abhimanavalli sets up images of Siva, Brahma,
Vishnu……"

Inscription No 103 of 1888 from Thanjavur
(Inside Prakara, west,tenth pillar)

Twentynineth year

"……Queen (Kuttan Viranaaraayaniyaar) Chola Mahadevi sets up images
of Siva, Uma and Ganapathi and presented (jewellery)
ornaments….."

Inscription No 105 of 1888 from Thanjavur
(Inside Prakara, west,third niche, eleventh & twelveth pillars and
fourth niche)

Twentynineth year

"……Queen Thirailoakya Mahadevi sets up images of Kalyanasundara,
Uma, Vishnu,Brahma etc and presented (jewellery) ornaments for the first
two….."

Inscription No 107 of 1888 from Thanjavur
(Inside Prakara, west,fifth niche & fourteenth pillar)

Twentynineth year

"……Queen Pirithivi Madeviyar set up a copper image of
Srikantha Murthigal and presented some ornaments……"

InscriptionNo 27 of 1897 from Thanjavur
(On a pillar in thesouth enclosure)

Twentynineth year

"……Queen Pirithivi Madeviyar provides money infavour of
Srikantha Murthigal set up by her……"

Inscription No 29 of 1897 from Thanjavur

Hence undoubtedly it was Queen "Panchavanmadeviyar" who
figures the earliest among the Queens in the inscriptions of RajarajaChola -1
being in his third year - was his "Patta Mahishi" or Chief Queen at the
time he became the Chola king in the year A.D.985.

[virarajendra]

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[virarajendra]

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